University of North Carolina Athletics
Tyrell Godwin Comments on Baseball Future
August 23, 2000 | Baseball
Aug. 23, 2000
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Tyrell Godwin, a three-year outfielder for the University of North Carolina, has elected not to sign a professional baseball contract with the Texas Rangers and has returned to Carolina for his final semester of school. The Council, N.C., native who is scheduled to earn his degree in December, was drafted last spring by the Texas Rangers with the 35th pick of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft. He plans to undergo surgery on his right knee this fall and will rehabilitate throughout the spring.
Tyrell Godwin on his decision not to sign with the Texas Rangers:
"I have enrolled for classes this fall at the University of North Carolina, and I will not be signing a professional baseball contract with the Texas Rangers. I'm proud and excited that I will graduate from Carolina this December as a Morehead Scholar, but I'm also very frustrated to have to put my professional baseball career on hold. After years of hard work, I really thought that now was my time to begin my pro baseball career. I will have to put that on hold for another year. At the advice of my advisor and the doctors I have consulted, I plan to undergo surgery on my right knee in the coming weeks. It is in my best long-term interest to repair my knee now so as to prevent any problems over the course of my career. I'm confident that after graduating in December and rehabbing in the spring I will be in an attractive position to begin my professional baseball career."
UNC Head Coach Mike Fox on Tyrell Godwin:
"We are disappointed for Tyrell that he will have to delay his professional baseball career. He had a terrific career at the University of North Carolina and he has all the physical tools to become a Major League Baseball player one day. I'm excited that he will be earning his degree this fall and I'm confident that his hard work during rehabilitation next spring will put him in an excellent position once again to enter professional baseball."
Godwin played at UNC from 1998-2000 and finished his career ranked fourth all-time at Carolina with a .362 batting average. Last season, Godwin was named second-team All-ACC and third-team All-America after batting .363 and ranking among the team leaders in nearly every offensive category. An ACC Academic Honor Roll student, he was also named a second-team GTE Academic All-America.
